Category Archives: Pastor’s Ponderings

Spiritual Retreats are very important to an individual and to the church community as very beautiful growth comes from these kinds of experiences. Claybanks United Methodist Church over the years has had a number of its members attend spiritual retreats. When I get to speak to someone, and I get a sense of spiritual joy, I am heartened to learn that some of those individuals have attended one of the many Declores Journeys.

I am encouraged that currently members of our church have shown interest in the Women’s Walk To Emmaus scheduled for the first weekend in May, sponsored by the West Michigan Emmaus Community, at a camp north of Ludington.

I will be part of the clergy group assisting in the Walk. Reba will be working in the kitchen for the 72-hour retreat along with many others from the Emmaus Community who want the spiritual journey of those attending to be blessed beyond anything that they may have experienced.

Reba, Michelle, Bill Dye and I have served on Journeys many times during the past almost thirty years. For the years prior to Covid, each January and February, you as a church blessed me and others by encouraging me along with Bill to participate in Keryx Retreats at Carson City Correctional Facility.

It is my prayer, that we as a church, might in May or in the future have others consider a Walk To Emmaus Retreat. Should you want to consider a Journey please talk to Reba, Konnie, Edie, or myself above how the spirit is moving within you and pushes your soul.

Blessings, Pastor Gary

In this pondering I would like to share with you four quotes from a book I have just recently read. One of the blessings that I find in retirement is that I now can read for enjoyment and not always for education or employment. Yet from time to time, I will read a book that challenges me to grow as I think about what I can take from a new book and apply it to my life and the world around me.

One such book that I read recently and have shared with others is “The Little Liar” written by Mitch Albom who has become over the years my favorite author. I first started reading Mitch years ago in the Detroit Free Press. Mitch was a sportswriter who would venture beyond sports in writing books that affect people’s lives. His first book “Tuesdays With Morrie” became a bestseller and Mitch has gone on to author other books. My favorite book for enjoyment was “The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto.” Mitchell’s latest book “The Little Liar” came out this past summer and it is a book formed around fictional characters yet the circumstances and what happened to these fictional characters comes from real history. The book is about someone who lived through the Holocaust starting as a child when the Holocaust began and continues the unfolding of life and how such horrendous acts affected him so many years after his experiences. I would recommend the book to you and would gladly share my copy when available; you may want to purchase it, or it can be attained through our local libraries. In our Pentwater community it is a book that is being read in book clubs.

There are many quotable parts to the book that I can share with you. I have picked out four that are important to me as I look at what is happening in the world around us today.

Quote No. 1: “When questioning a madman, it is like interrogating a spider. They both go on spinning their webs until someone squashes them out of existence.”

My thought: I have found over the years, from time to time, I have been confronted with people who no longer see the truth as it really is. We attempt to have rational discussion of the truth with them, yet they continue to believe in the untruth even when proof is against them in their unbelief. You come to a point where there will be no way of convincing them of the truth. Once I have given a respectable amount of discussion in this untruth with that person, I need to realize that my position and their position are not going to change, and I need to walk away.

Quote No. 2: “Human beings are inclined to hate others if they believe the “others” are the cause of their unhappiness.”

My thought: It was not until my young years while attending undergraduate school that I began to see and experience the hatred that some people have for others. The answer I searched for was: how could they come to have such hatred within themselves? So often human beings do not take responsibility for their own feelings, thoughts or actions and blame so much upon others that it manifests itself in hatred and the “others” can be anyone who is not like them. My belief is that God did create everyone equal and in His own image and you cannot allow hatred in your heart to exist.

Quote #\No. 3 “When we say enough and it is time to move on, this is how it begins, time passes, people forget, then it happens again.”

My thought: Yes, at times we do need to move on only if we recognize and record in history the truth of what has happened and do not allow others to rewrite history in their favor. We need to recognize our shortcomings and ask for forgiveness of our sins. Then all can move on.

Quote No. 4: “A voice that could warn you how a lie told once is easy to expose, but a lie told 1000 times can look like the truth and destroy the world.”

My thought: Of the four quotes that I have brought to you this day, No. 4 is the one that I see affecting us daily and will continue to affect us in the future until we live by and uphold the 9th commandment “That you shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.” Which means you shall not lie. And when someone continues to lie you must confront them and if they continue to lie then you must no longer associate with them and continue to call them out. To not do so gives them permission to continue spreading the lie.

I have other books that Mitch Albom has written, and I would be glad to loan them to you. Mitch’s book “Tuesdays With Morrie” has been made into a play and movie. A second play, “Duck Hunters Shoot Angels,” is one of my mother’s favorites. Reba and I have been blessed to have attended both. Mitch still writes for the Detroit Free Press and USA Today. He continues to be active in supporting mission projects in the Detroit area and he and his wife are founders of an orphanage and school in Haiti

Occasionally, I get the question from church members: why Advent and where did it come from? The season of Advent, which has its meaning “Coming or visit,” begins four Sundays before Christmas and ends on Christmas Eve. The first Sunday of Advent begins the yearly church calendar for Christians. During Advent, we prepare for and anticipate the coming of Christ. We remember the longing of the Jews for a Messiah and our longing for and need of forgiveness, salvation, and a new beginning. Even as we look back and celebrate the birth of Jesus in a humble stable in Bethlehem, we also look forward to anticipating the second coming of Christ as the fulfillment of all that was promised in His first coming.

We are accustomed to celebrating Christmas on a single day. Yet in both Christian tradition and on the church calendar, the Christmas season lasts from sundown on December 24^th, Christmas Eve, through Epiphany of the Lord, which is on January the 6th. This is sometimes referred to as “The twelve days of Christmas.” Advent Season begins with the 4th Sunday before Christmas Day making Christmas time more than just one day.

The history of Advent can first be traced back to the early fourth century church. It was a time that began the preparation for an individual who was to be baptized on Easter (which was the traditional day of Baptism in the early Christian Church.) With the beginning of Lent, just a few weeks following Advent, additional preparation was done by those who wanted to be baptized. It was more than just practicing piety, fasting and penitence. Advent was the time when those new Christians would learn about images, stories, memories, promises, songs, and hopes that are always present in scripture to us. Advent is a time when the church can speak to us about hope, justice, peace, and love. It is a time when the many stories surrounding Jesus’ birth are shared as a preparation for celebrating     Jesus’ birth on Christmas Day.

Today we have an ecumenical practice with the Revised Common Lectionary that denotes the first Sunday of Advent shared

by Lutherans, Anglicans, Episcopalians, Methodists, Presbyterians, and other protestant denominations, along with the  Roman Catholic Church, that follow a year-round church calendar where Advent prepares us in a pre-Christmas Christmas.

For the early Christian Church, Advent had a twin focus, celebrating the coming of our Lord not just at birth but also in the early church. It was thought that Christ would come back at any time, and it was a preparation also for his second coming. Advent today includes the lighting of Advent Candles and scripture readings on the four Sundays and Christmas Eve.

There are many ways that we as Christians can celebrate Advent, which is a season of anticipation and hope, as we prepare for God’s arrival as an infant child born in a Manger. During the Advent season, I would encourage you to maybe use an Advent Calendar and devotions as you set aside time for prayer and meditation. Maybe you can commit to learn about new things such as issues of justice and righteousness. Mark moments of spiritual growth as we remember and study about a Manger and a child born in a little town during a very chaotic time. It is also a time when many practice generosity in their community or around the world. Make an Advent wreath for your home and place it closely where you do your scripture reading, devotionals, and Bible study. Our spiritual practices should include visiting friends and neighbors, nursing homes, hospitals, shelters and even prisons. Volunteer your time for a needed cause. It is a time to focus on a forgiving heart. It is also a time when we can attend additional worship services  offered by many of the churches in our community such as Blue Christmas, Advent studies, and it can be additional times to receive communion.

For Advent, I would encourage us to use the time to remind ourselves to slow down, prepare ourselves for celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and to remember that God promises to always be with us. May the Holy Spirit bring growth and meaning to you as you celebrate Advent and Christmas with family, friends, community, and your church.

Season’s Blessings, Merry Christmas, and Happy Holidays,

Pastor Gary